SUPREME COURT UPDATES UNCATEGORIZED

Humanitarian move to direct for Dry Ration, Community Kitchen, Cash transfers and facilitate transfers of Migrants: Supreme Court

Migrant workers who were stranded returning to their hometowns during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown earlier. (Photo Curtesy ANI Photo)

DIRECTIONS SO FAR

That migrant worker wherever stranded throughout the country should be provided with the dry ration under the Atma Nirbhar Scheme or any other scheme is found suitable by the States/Centre.

Coming to the direction regarding Community Kitchen, it is the responsibility of the States/Union Territories to provide Community Kitchen to the stranded migrant workers, who have lost their employment and are in need of two meals a day, we direct all the States/Union Territories to make operational the community kitchen to the stranded migrant workers wherever they may situate in the country. There shall be wide publicity with respect to the various schemes including the places of community kitchens so that such needy persons may in fact take benefits.

Regarding direct cash transfer, it is submitted that although few States have made schemes for direct cash transfer to construction workers and different amounts from Rs.1,000/- to Rs.6,000/- have been transferred but no such direct transfer scheme is in place with regard to other unorganised workers. The court was of the view that cash transfer is a matter of policy and scheme framed by each State/Union Territory and no direction for cash transfer can be issued by this Court to any category of a person unless they are covered by any scheme formulated by the State/Union Territory.

The matter is now listed for hearing on 11/14.06.2021